Meeting Messi a dream and a duty, his art my antidote when I'm sad: Chhetri
New Delhi (PTI): Meeting Argentine football icon Lionel Messi during his G.O.A.T. India Tour was "a dream and duty" for former India striker Sunil Chhetri as he almost missed the event due to an injury.
Chhetri, who recently retired from the international game as the fourth highest scorer in history with 95 goals, met Messi on Sunday during the World Cup winning captain's third leg in Mumbai. Messi is second in the list with 115 goals.
The former India captain described Messi as the player whose "art" on a football field acted as an "antidote" when he felt sad.
"To be able to express my gratitude to @leomessi in person for everything that he has done for our sport, felt like both - a dream and a duty," Chhetri wrote on his Instagram page.
"I’ve been nursing an injury that’s restricted me to a hobble and needless to say, I don’t like being around even myself when I’m spending more time on the physios table than the pitch.
"I almost didn’t make the trip to Mumbai, till the fan in me rebelled and went anyway. Turned out, meeting the man who makes me very happy, and whose art is my antidote for all the times I am sad, was exactly what I needed."
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Messi spent time chatting with Chhetri and even presented him his Argentina jersey.
The Indian football star was also cheered on by the fans at the Wankhede Stadium with chants of “Chhetri… Chhetri” amid the exhibition football match and other activities he took part in.
Chhetri also expressed satisfaction at meeting Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul who made the trip to India with Messi.
"It was lovely to meet another World Cup winner in Rodrigo De Paul, and then there was the child-like excitement to share the frame with arguably the most complete No.9 of our generation - Luis Suarez.
"And Mumbai, you absolute beauty, thank you for making me feel so loved. I do not take it for granted."
Chhetri said he had to fight with himself on whether to travel to Mumbai to meet Messi or not.
"The build-up to Saturday was filled with little fights, and in a rare win, Sunil Chhetri the fan beat Sunil Chhetri the pro, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
"At the end of it, I guess, both the Chhetri’s turned up on Saturday and the joy was twice as much."
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ISRO, TIFR sign MoU for collaboration in space science, tech, exploration
Bengaluru (PTI): In a landmark event for India's space exploration programme, ISRO on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TIFR for scientific collaboration in the domain of space science, technology, and exploration, the space agency said.
The signing ceremony took place at ISRO Headquarters here, and was presided over by the space agency's Chairman V Narayanan.
In a statement, ISRO said that this event marks a historical milestone, as it establishes the formal framework for scientific collaboration between ISRO and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, organisations that have shared an "umbilical" relationship in space sciences for over several decades.
"While TIFR played a critical role in the formative days of the Indian space programme through early balloon experiments and mission-specific partnerships like AstroSat, this MoU provides a structured multi-year collaboration in ground and space-based scientific exploration of the outer space," the space agency said.
ISRO Chairman Narayanan in his presidential address stated that this MoU bridges a critical gap in the formal framework for science collaboration.
He highlighted that India is entering an era where science extends to exoplanetary study and the development of several national capabilities.
Collaboration between ISRO and TIFR would facilitate the materialisation of the nation's target to achieve excellence in space science in the global arena.
Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary, ISRO recalled TIFR's role as the "cradle of Indian space scientists," noting its pivotal contributions to the early day's of the country's space programme, which paved the way to TIFR's contributions to the AstroSat mission.
Jayaram Chengalur, Director, TIFR emphasised that the institute will leverage national space and ground-based technological capabilities to propose projects that translate fundamental scientific knowledge into tangible advancements aligned with national initiatives.
According to ISRO, this partnership significantly enhances India's might in space exploration by fostering a seamless pipeline between academic excellence and space infrastructure. By co-developing indigenous hardware and joint testing facilities, the MoU reduces dependency on foreign entities.
Furthermore, this collaboration ensures that joint activities will place India at the forefront of global fundamental space science, it added.
